Of EM/ion. ·~that Stream from the firll ro the !all, had been to !hew both how the Love of BoOK Ill. the Father, and the Mercy of Chri(\, bad been the original Caufcs ofthe Cal· ~ ling, and the contriving Caufes of the keeping and prefervation ofthofe called Ones; when as others had been not only lelt, but tore-written unto (o fad a Fare; fo rbe Epif\le begins, verj; 1, 2. Jude the fervcmt of .!efiu Chrifl, and brother of Jan:es , to thtm th,zt are fa1Jffljied by God the Father, aHd prefer– ved wJejtu Chnfl a~dCalled: Mercy U1Itoyo11, and peaa, a11d love bemul– tiplied. So it runs on to verje the 4th, For there are certain men crept i1: 1J'lt1Wtlrts, who wn·e 6efore of old ~rdaittu! ~o th~· coTJdemuation; u·ngodly mm, turning theG>·r~ee of oftr God 111to lafczvtoufnefs, a>td dmyi11g tht 011 ty Lord God, tmd our Lord Jefw Chrifl, And appomted to this Condemnation thot follows, Thus the Epillle begins: And fo it continues in v n je 2 1. Kap ; •ottr [elves in tht love of God, lookingfor the merc7 of o11r Lord Jefu. Clmfl niJto etem alltft. And thus drawing to a Conclufion, the Apofilc celebraterl1 God for all the(e SpecijiCtJtiolls; the comprehenfive drift of which Celebrati– on, I take up and metbodife thus. 1, He take• in all tbofe Attributes, or Ad:s of God and Chrift, mentioned afore, either in verfe z, 2, or in the 21ftvtrft; as Love, Mercy, which are all one with Frn-grace; and that we fhould, for thefe, glorifie God and our Sa– viour, isimplicitly intended. 2 . T hofc Attrilmtes and ADs which have had an hand hitherto, and mull: have, and !\ill continue to carry on and perfed: our Salvation; as his Power, to h im that is able, verj: 24- which fuppofeth his willingnefs to do it, and which being engaged, it will be fure to perfect it to the !aft and gr.eateH Act of it: Which lafi Act or Scene he fets forth to be a Prtfmting them f aultlefs, &c. be– fort the prefence of his Glory, with exceeding joy. 3; That great Attribute of Wtfdom, which had fecretly and hiddenly in his foreknowledge, laid and contrived the whole of the Defign, from firft to !aft, fo as to glorifie his Grace the moft that might be towards us. z. T o the w i{t God. 2, The 011/y wijt God. And this as !hewn in being our Saviotw : For aft w hich give glory to him again. 3· He mentions the Ends which God bad in there feveral Defigns in !ovi1tg us, calling us, and pre{ervin! us: And to that end lays afore them the Demon– ftration of his 1. Glory; 2, 'Dominion; 3.Power; 4· Magnificmcr, as Bez a renders the word "'"''"'...;" ; and with thefe , and for thefe alfo themfelves, Celebrate him alfo, as thofe which eminently and above all appeared there– in. 4· He fpecifies the Time and the Contrivance of our doing this: r. Now at pre(mt: 2. For ever, The love out of which he did all this, was from ever– lafiing; and therefore good reafon we fiwuld adore him for ever. There is added, the whole of our Souls giving this Praife, contrad:ed and poured out in an AMEN. You will fay unto me, Is not this Doxology or Praife given to God only up– on that General account, that it is ordinarily elfewhere given, as intending on– ly the feuing forth of his Praife, what agloriow, wife, powerful God he is in himfelf ? And upon that account only to give Glory to him, as the Apofile feemsalfotodo, 1Tim.6. ~~. 16, in that Paiiage, Which in his times he fha/1 [hew, who is the bleffed and o•Il1 Potmtate, the Kit;g of Kings, and Lord of Lords; who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which tJo mrm ca11 approach ttnto, whom no man hath [ten or ca11 fte : To whom be ho– nour and pown· everlaFi~tg. Amm. My Anfwer is; z. That this being fo fhort an Epi(\le for the Matter of it, and that yet it lhould have in the Clole a larger enumeration of Attributes (larger for number enumerated) in this his Doxology, than in the Clofe of great and large Epifiles, we find the Apofiles to have ufed, this muil have fome fpecial reafon for it, as relating to the Eminency of the drift aed fubjed: Maaer therein. z. And
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